Imelda Marcos
| birth_place = Manila, Philippine Islands | residence = Makati | nationality = Filipino | party = Nacionalista (1965 – 1978; 2009 – present) | otherparty = Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (1978 – 2013) | spouse = Ferdinand Marcos ( 1954; 1989) | children = Imee Marcos Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. Aimee Marcos (adopted) Irene Marcos | signature = | footnotes = | module = }} Imelda Marcos (née Romuáldez, born 2 July 1929) is a Filipino socialite, politician, and congresswoman who was First Lady of the Philippines for 21 years, during which she and her husband had amassed about US$5-10 billion of ill-gotten wealth, Manapat, Ricardo (1991) Some Are Smarter Than Others. Aletheia Press. the bulk of which still remains unrecovered. She married Ferdinand Marcos in 1954 and became First Lady in 1965 when he became President of the Philippines. She and her family gained notoriety for living a lavish lifestyle during a period of economic crisis and civil unrest in the country. She is known for spending much of her time abroad on state visits, extravagant parties, shopping sprees, her jewelry and shoe collections, and for initiating multiple grand architectural projects using public funds, behavior which has come to be described in common parlance as Imeldific. The People Power Revolution in February 1986 unseated the Marcoses and forced the family into exile. In 1991, President Corazon Aquino allowed the Marcos family to return to the Philippines after the 1989 death of Ferdinand Marcos. Imelda Marcos was elected four times to the House of Representatives – as a congresswoman for Leyte in 1995 and for Ilocos Norte in 2010, 2013, and 2016, and remains one of the richest politicians in the Philippines. She, along with her husband Ferdinand, are famous for holding the Guinness World Record for the Greatest Robbery of a Government. In November 2018, she was convicted of corruption charges during her term as governor of Manila between 1978 and 1984 and was sentenced to decades in prison. Life as First Lady Imelda had her own office in Malacañang, known as the "Music Room", where she received her callers. Here she met various cabinet members, heads of financing institutions, leaders of business communities, etc. She also had established her own foundation which contributed to her numerous projects which were further explained in a pamphlet called "The Compassionate Society." At first, Imelda did the duties expected of a First Lady, the examples set aside by her predecessors. She graced a fashion show, inaugurated a bank, attended the army ladies' tea. The Blue Ladies During the 1965 campaign, Imelda became the leader of the "Blue Ladies", a group initially composed of wives of political men in the Nacionalista Party. The "Blue Ladies" initially numbered about two dozen. When Ferdinand won the nomination, they swelled into a hundred. The unofficial chairman was Pacita Gonzalez. Formed during Christmas season of 1965, the members helped Imelda during campaigns by contributing funds and providing publicity. The campaigns led by Imelda Marcos's "Blue Ladies" highlighted personal touch by organizing teas and receptions. They visited factories and farms to shake hands and have small conversations with the voters, making door-to-door appeals in the slum areas. They also utilized the new innovation brought into politics that year by buying radio and television time in order to campaign for Marcos through the use of little speeches for the voters. The cost was not a problem for Marcos seeing as how most of its members were composed of prominent matrons and/or beautiful youthful girls married to men of means. Upon becoming First Lady, Imelda often asked members of the Blue Ladies to accompany her on her trips out of the country. Imelda would also help some of the members in their investments and own businesses One of her most famous socialite friends was Cristina Ford. Imelda's Blue Ladies—specifically Maria Luisa, a daughter of the rich Madrigal family and the wife of Dr. Vasquez—contributed to the fashion spending of Imelda. In 1968, Maria Luisa accompanied Imelda on an overseas trip, during which Imelda and daughter Imee spent $3.3 million. It was also at this time that Dr. Daniel Vasquez and Maria Luisa opened a Citibank account. In November 1968, the couple added Fernanda Vazquez as a joint holder of the bank account. An allegation that Imelda and Fernanda Vasquez are one and the same is validated by the fact that the notations for the bank account had Imelda Marcos's handwriting. Private life Ferdinand had been involved in affairs after marrying Imelda Marcos. Ferdinand's most public affair was with American actress Dovie Beams in 1966. While staying in one of the President's safe houses, she recorded her affair with the President. These tapes were later played in a press conference, causing great humiliation for Imelda. They stayed married through a deal; Imelda had free rein on her projects in exchange for delivering votes for Ferdinand in the second election. References Category:1929 births Category:Living people Category:First Ladies and First Gentlemen of the Philippines